Truth & Rumors: Tiger set his sights on T54 at Deutsche Bank Championship

Tuesday, August 31, 2010

Sure, Tiger Woods still wants to win the Deutsche Bank Championship this week, but to stay alive in the FedEx Cup playoffs he needs to finish at least T54, according to The Orlando Sentinel.

Woods currently ranks 65th in the standings with 734 points. A year ago, Chad Campbell was the last man into the BMW Championship with 816 points. That means Woods needs to pick up at least 82 points at the TPC Boston -- equivalent to a tie for 54th. A top-50 finish likely guarantees safe passage.

Remember, though, these are projections for a moving target. If enough players below Woods get hot this week, that target number could rise.

If the odds for this weekend’s Deutsche Bank Championship, the second round of the FedExCup playoffs, are any indication, Vegas is regaining its faith in Tiger Woods. Tiger’s the 7/1 favorite to win the tournament. In a bit of a surprise, the next-best bet is no longer world number two Phil Mickelson (16/1), but Steve Stricker at 11/1. Stricker is ranked fourth in the world, and second in the FedExCup standings.

...golf fans love the snake-bitten loser, especially one who handles defeat with dignity and grace as Johnson has. The frustrating near-misses in majors made Phil Mickelson a bigger star than he’d ever be had he gone out and won a U.S. Open in his early 20s.

Johnson plays right-handed, but in many ways, he has become Lefty Light. He started the day in the final pairing, and with Woods an afterthought and Mickelson missing the cut, D.J. became the crowd favorite. “It was a Phil and Tiger feeling out there, with people four deep along the ropes,” said Blake Smith, one of his agents. “It’s amazing how much people have embraced him.”

Stray Shots Stories we saw while wondering why after 14 holes our golf cart looks like Starsky and Hutch have been on an all-night stakeout in it...

If you’re wondering why in the world Roger Clemens played in the Golf.com World Amateur Championship in South Carolina after being arraigned on charges of lying to Congress in Washington, D.C., his wife Debbie said, "[The tournament] was planned before the other thing happened." Yup, the Rocket must love Golf.com. (Via The Sun News)And, finally, Tiger Woods is NOT buying an apartment in New York City, despite rampant reports, according to CNBC's Darren Rovell. Why would Tiger need a place in the city when he can always crash at his pal Derek Jeter's place?